My introduction to horror literature was via a hard cover edition of " The Shining " by Stephen King.  I feel that one of the first books reviewed during The Corner's relaunch should be by him as well. Mike Noonan, experiencing nightmares about his deceased wife's hometown, moves there to confront his fears at the source.  Soon however, he finds that the nightmares are real... and leading him to face ghosts from his and the town's past... This is one of the tightest, most emotionally intense books written by King.  It's on par with " The Shining" for mood, setting, and scares.  It flows smoothly along- building slowly but inevitably.  Once I began reading, I could not stop- I had to keep going until the end. Even then, I had troubles stopping myself from dwelling on it- especially how it treats the themes of grief, and how even when you've known someone for years- they can still surprise you. The characters are equally well crafted in...